


A Morning with Rosa

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 09:22:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15992318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Hazel goes on a birthday morning ride with her new horse and meets up with a hopeless farm. Hazel belongs to hazel-swiftvalley on tumblr.





	A Morning with Rosa

As soon as Hazel got out of bed, she headed straight for the stables. This was always her usual routine, of course, just as it was the usual routine for many of the native residents of Jorvik. Horses were truly the heart and soul of this island, just one of the many things that she loved about this place.

But today, as Hazel walked into her grand stables and greeted her horses, there was one horse in particular who she sought out. A grey trakehner mare, her head lowered to graze upon some of the hay in her stall.

"Good morning, Rosa," said Hazel, clicking to her girl. Rosa raised her head, looking straight at her rider while chewing contentedly. Hazel smiled and cooed over her mare as she rubbed Rosa's neck, enjoying the soft feeling of her fur.

Hazel usually exercised one of her horses of a morning anyway, wanting to get them ready for the day and also wake herself up while she was at it. And horses made for great company; for one thing, they were far less chatty than other people. Though, some would disagree, mostly those who could speak with their horses as they could speak with other people. It was a trait that Soul Riders learned later on in their training, even if they did learn to speak with their Soul Steed first.

Hazel tacked up Rosa, though, using the tack that looked best on her (including a new saddle pad that she'd already bought in Dundull with her birthday money) and led her out of the stable doors and into the cool, misty Dundull air. Once again, Hazel felt her breath taken away by the sheer beauty of this place. She couldn't help but grin as Rosa stretched her long legs and stretched her neck out to try to nibble on the leaves of a nearby bush.

"Hey, be good," Hazel chided her gently, taking hold of her bridle to bring Rosa's head back around to face her. Rosa gave her a sad look but behaved herself, standing still so that Hazel could mount her with the aid of the fence beside Dundull's stable. Trakehners were rather tall horses, after all, though not as tall as the Shires or Lusitanos. And Rosa was definitely tall and leggy and beautiful.

Riding out of Dundull, Hazel relaxed and enjoyed the sounds of the nearby ocean (right beside the road, in fact), even if the forest sounds could also be quite calming. There was just something about the ocean, the soft roar of the rougher waves over near South Hoof and the closer lapping sounds of the water lapping at the coast. Combined with the clip-clop of Rosa's hooves, it created quite a soothing sound. Perfect to wake up to, or just to start the day with. There was nothing quite like greeting the morning on horseback, even if it had been a while since Hazel had watched the sunrise on a horse. Maybe someday, she'd be able to do that again. It was definitely a nice idea, though the waking up early part definitely wouldn't be pleasant.

"Good morning," a fellow rider on the road out of Dundull called to her, waving. Hazel was startled out of her thoughts, though not frightened. Rosa slowed, though, almost coming to a stop.

"Oh, good morning," said Hazel, smiling at the other rider. It was a blonde-haired girl riding a dark bay connemara, which looked rather pretty with those braids.

"That's such a beautiful horse," said the other girl.

"Thanks," said Hazel, still smiling as she petted Rosa's neck. Rosa appeared to preen, sticking her leg out and almost striking a pose. Hazel laughed, and the other girl joined her. "I got her from Silverglade Manor."

"Oh, I've heard that they have beautiful horses there," said the other girl. "I got this one, Podzol, from right here in Dundull. Connemaras are just one of the breeds that are native to this area, I guess."

"Podzol?" Hazel repeated, trying not to laugh. "Well, that's an... interesting name for a horse." The girl laughed.

"Yeah, I named him when I was younger," said the girl, petting Podzol's neck. "But he's still quite beautiful. I'm sure your pretty horse has a prettier name, though." Hazel smiled.

"Rosa," said Hazel, smirking as her horse pricked her ears up and tried to look at her. "No, I wasn't talking to you, I was telling this girl your name." Rosa looked a little put-out at that and bent her head down to graze, seeing as they had stopped.

"See? Beautiful name for a beautiful horse," said the girl. "Anyway, I'll let you be on your way, I'm sure you're off somewhere important."

"No, not really," said Hazel with a shrug. "My plans were just to go for a birthday morning ride with my lovely Rosa. I just got her so I'm enjoying bonding with her."

"Aww, how sweet," said the girl. "And happy birthday."

"Thank you," said Hazel, giving her a grin. "You have a nice morning too with Podzol."

"Hey, if it makes me look any better, there' a ranger with a black Mustang who named his horse Coal," said the girl. Hazel laughed.

"I'm sure there are worse names," said Hazel. The two girls bid each other farewell and continued on their way, the other girl seeming to head into town while Hazel rode Rosa at an easy trot down the road. She still remembered first riding into Mistfall, how beautiful it had all been. It still held that beauty now, the beauty hadn't faded just because she'd gotten used to it, as she'd feared that it might.

The road took Hazel and Rosa all the way up to the Mistfall tunnel that connected to the rest of Jorvik, and normally, Hazel would go through the tunnel about halfway and then turn down a hidden tunnel to reach a gorgeous little cove where the sunlight always dappled through the leaves in a quite stunning manner. But today, Rosa seemed to be interested in the little road that led away from the tunnel and to a farm. A quite familiar farm.

"Now, remember, Rosa, watch for loose barn animals," said Hazel. "Kirsty still likes her animals to free range." Which was fine, but... Hazel had seen chickens in the surf more than once, and the odd cow or two still strayed onto the road every now and then.

Thankfully, Rosa managed to reach the houseyard without stepping on a single chicken, pig, or cow patty (she actually avoided these latter with a little skip, as though she were frightened of them). And there in the yard, stooping down to spread out some feed for her chickens, was the landowner herself.

"Hi, Kirsty," said Hazel, pulling Rosa to a gentle stop in front of the farmhouse and dismounting, holding the reins so that Rosa wouldn't stray.

"Oh!" said Kirsty, straightening up and spilling a little of the chicken feed (much to the delight of the chickens). She pushed a curl of her hair behind her ear, tucking it beneath her hat. "A visitor! How wonderful." She beamed, her whole face lighting up.

"I was going to continue on into the Silverglade area, but Rosa wanted to come up here for some reason," said Hazel, petting Rosa's nose. Rosa sought out treats in Hazel's hand but, finding none, pulled her head away.

"Oh, how sweet of her," Kirsty cooed, though she didn't come any closer. "Er, may I pet her?"

"Go ahead," said Hazel, giving her a friendly smile. "She won't bite. She's a real sweetie, this one."

"Oh, good," said Kirsty, holding her hand out. "Er, how do I do it?"

"Let her sniff your hand," said Hazel. "And then you may pet her muzzle, if she allows it."

"Hi there, pretty one," said Kirsty, her arm shaking slightly as she held her hand out, palm up. Hazel watched the interaction with a smile, grinning as Rosa accepted the muzzle pets. "Oh, she is so lovely. And such a soft muzzle!"

"Don't you have horses here?" asked Hazel, looking at the horse paddock.

"Well, yes, but I haven't really done much with them yet," said Kirsty. "I'm a little frightened of them, to be honest. Horses are so beautiful, but I don't know the first thing about them! Other than what I've seen in video games, and as I've learned recently, video games are much different to reality. Especially when it comes to farming."

"Yeah, just a bit different," said Hazel with a laugh. "Maybe I could help you out with them, if you like?"

"Oh, would you really?" asked Kirsty, turning her delighted gaze to Hazel. "I would be ever so grateful! Oh, everyone here is so nice, first Andy with the cows and chickens, then Steve with the crops, Big Bonny with fixing everything that breaks. Though I'm not sure if I like the fact that she fixed my alarm clock." She made a face, and Hazel laughed.

"You'll get used to it," said Hazel. "And of course, I'd be happy to help. Horses are so wonderful, everyone should be able to enjoy them. Though I might be a bit biased, heh." Kirsty giggled, even if she had no idea of just how amusing that statement was. Of course a Soul Rider would say that horses were wonderful.

"Oh, thank you," said Kirsty, throwing her arms around Hazel in a hug. She hastily pulled away, stepping back. "I'm sorry, was that too forward?" She was blushing, but Hazel only smiled at her.

"Always nice to meet a grateful person and be thanked for my help," said Hazel. "Would you like to start with horse rides?"

"Are you sure?" asked Kirsty, looking up at Rosa's back. "It looks so high up."

"Well, I have a horse here with me and Rosa is as sweet as pie, so why not?" said Hazel. "And don't worry, I have been a riding instructor before." Johanna had taught her at the last Jorvik Stables Open House, and she'd never forgotten those lessons.

"Well, that does make me feel a little better," said Kirsty, twiddling her fingers. "How, um... how do I get up? And should I get changed?"

"Pants or trousers or whatever you want to call them would be better to ride in," said Hazel.

"Right, I'll just quickly go and get changed," said Hazel. With that, she dashed inside, leaving Hazel to search the farm for a leadrope. She found one rather quickly, actually, hanging over the fence of the horse paddock. Maybe someone had been about to start riding lessons but had gotten distracted. Probably Steve.

"How does this look?" asked Kirsty. Hazel looked over at the house from where she stood petting a foal, and had to stifle a laugh at Kirsty. She was wearing what would be considered 'typical' riding attire, jodhpurs that looked uncomfortable and a button-up shirt. At least she wore a helmet, though, her hair escaping its bun in curls. She also had riding boots on.

"You look like you're ready to hit the trails," said Hazel. She walked over to Rosa, then led her horse over to the front steps. "Now, do you think you can mount from the steps?"

"I'll try," said Kirsty, looking uncertainly at Rosa again.

"Just try to relax, okay?" said Hazel. "She might be able to pick up on your anxiety." Not that Rosa looked too bothered, just mildly concerned at the skittish woman standing by her.

"Okay," said Kirsty, taking a deep breath in and then letting it out. "I'm getting on the horse. Simple."

"Yep," said Hazel, nodding. "You just put your right foot in the stirrup, then grab the saddle and pull yourself up and over so that your other foot goes over into the other stirrup." Kirsty nodded, hesitantly lifting her right foot to set it into the stirrup. She took a deep breath, letting it out in a squeal as she got halfway into the saddle and then fell back down. Rosa pinned her ears but only shifted her hooves uncertainly.

"I'm sorry!" said Kirsty, covering her face with her hands.

"It's okay," said Hazel. "No harm done, she didn't even spook. Try again, and this time, breathe."

"Right," said Kirsty, nodding again. "This time I'll get it for sure."

Several attempts later, Kirsty was finally sitting in the saddle, looking frightened. Her eyes were huge.

"It's so high up!" said Kirsty, trembling. "How do you get used to this?"

"I just do, I guess," said Hazel. "But don't worry, you don't have to do anything, just sit there and enjoy the ride. I'll lead you." She clipped the leadrope to Rosa's halter, flashing Kirsty a grin.

"Am I sitting properly?" asked Kirsty, trying to sit up straight.

"Heels down and grip the reins," said Hazel. "Not too tight but not too loose, either."

"Oh, this is so hard," said Kirsty, shifting around carefully, afraid of falling. "There's nothing to hold you on."

"Exactly," said Hazel. "Horse riding is all about trust. And don't worry, this is only your first lesson. Now, where would you like to go?"

"Well... I'm actually not sure," said Kirsty with a laugh. "Maybe we could go where you were going before?"

"I guess," said Hazel, beginning to lead Rosa down the road. Kirsty gave a little cry, snatching up the reins. "Not too tight." Kirsty loosened the reins.

"Sorry," said Kirsty.

"I don't wanna be trampled by a horse on my birthday," said Hazel with a laugh, hoping that it wouldn't upset Kirsty.

"Oh, is it your birthday?" asked Kirsy.

"Yeah," said Hazel, nodding.

"Then I know exactly what to do," said Kirsty. "Let's go into Dundull. If you don't mind walking that far, anyway. Oh, and happy birthday."

"Thanks," said Hazel, grinning at her. "Right, to Dundull." It was a long walk, but it was a nice morning. Why not go for a nice walk?

The walk was long, and Hazel was feeling a little worn out by the time they got to Dundull. Of course, Kirsty had chattered non-stop on the way there, talking about her farm and how her crops were coming along and the games that she'd been playing. In return, Hazel had told her horse stories, and Kirsty had slowly grown more comfortable in the saddle.

"Alright, we're in Dunull," said Hazel as they headed off the main road. "Where to now?"

"The cafe," said Kirsty. "I've been providing some of my farm fresh eggs to the cafe here, and I've heard wonderful things about the food. Of course, I haven't been able to get in here much to try them, what with how busy it is on the farm and how I don't exactly have any transport. And it's such a long walk."

"Well, once you know how to ride, you can just ride in and back," said Hazel. "Makes things much easier."

"I look forward to it," said Kirsty, grinning. "I'll be a real farmer in no time." Her eyes shone, her entire face lighting up.

Once they reached the cafe, Hazel helped Kirsty down and led Rosa over to the hitching post where food and water was supplied for the numerous horses who came through here.

"Wow, my legs feel funny," said Kirsty with a laugh.

"That's riding for you," said Hazel, laughing with her. "But now, you can take a nice seat in a chair before you get back up in the saddle."

"Thank goodness," said Kirsty, finding a seat and immediately sitting down. Hazel sat opposite her, and a waitress soon walked over.

"Hi, welcome to Dundull's Seaside Cafe," said the waitress with a friendly smile. "Kirsty! Always great to see you."

"Do you need anymore eggs?" asked Kirsty. "And it's great to see you too, Lauren."

"Not at the moment," said Lauren. "But we'll call and let you know when we need more. What would you like to order today?"

"Well, since it's my friend Hazel's birthday, I'd like to order a slice of chocolate cake for her," said Kirsty.

"Ooh, that's one of the things made with your eggs," said Lauren with a smile as she wrote the order down on her pad.

"Wow, that's perfect! I might have a piece too, then," said Kirsty. Lauren laughed as she updated the order, and then the two ordered a strawberry milkshake each.

"Is this cake payment for the riding lesson?" asked Hazel, a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, I can pay you if you like," said Kirsty. Hazel laughed.

"This first lesson can be paid for with cake," said Hazel. "We'll talk prices before our next lesson, though."

"Of course," said Kirsty, nodding.

It didn't take long for the cake to be brought out, and Kirsty exclaimed over how good it was. It was good, too, sweet and chocolatey and delicious.

"The eggs really make it," said Kirsty with a wink. Hazel giggled. Technically, eggs did make a cake. But personally, Hazel thought that the chocolate really made this cake. Though it was nice that Kirsty's chicken's eggs were used.

"It's delicious," said Hazel after finishing her slice. She hadn't expected to get birthday cake at the end of her ride, but she wasn't too surprised. It was her birthday, after all, and birthday cake was just one of the bare necessities of life.


End file.
